02/05/2026
Freeze Weather and Landscaping Debrief
The weather event we experienced over the weekend is considered a 40–50 year cold weather event for our area. We have not seen conditions like this since the late 1980s. The guidance below is intended to help your property recover properly after this hard freeze and avoid long-term damage.
This freeze caused more damage than is immediately visible. Burned or dead-looking foliage is currently protecting living tissue by insulating it from cold air and wind. For this reason, immediate cutbacks are not recommended.
Pruning and trimming:
For most plants, shrubs, and trees, the safest time to trim is late February through early March (approximately Feb 20–Mar 5). This allows delayed freeze damage to show and reduces the risk of exposing healthy tissue to another cold snap. Palms should not be pruned until March. Brown fronds are intentionally left in place to protect the growing point.
Possible cold weather events:
Forecast-based dates with any chance of air temperatures near or below 32 degrees or wind chills below 32:
Feb 5
Feb 6
Feb 7
Historical cold-stress watch periods (not a forecast, but times when plants can still be stressed by cold air and wind, such as 35–45 degrees with wind or mid-30s with light wind):
Feb 8–14
Feb 15–21
Feb 22–28
Mar 1–7
Mar 8–14 (low risk)
Mar 15–21 (very low risk)
Mar 22–Apr 1 (near-zero risk, rare outliers only)
Lawns – Floratam St. Augustine:
As your landscape professional, we will temporarily raise mower deck height by approximately one-half to one inch to allow longer grass blades to protect the turf while it recovers. Over the next two weeks, we will evaluate soil and turf conditions to determine whether it is safe to place mower weight on the lawn. If conditions are not suitable, service may be limited to edging, bed touch-ups, blowing, and cleanup. Full mowing will resume only when it can be done without risking root damage that often shows up later during summer heat.
Root recovery:
After a hard freeze, turf and ornamental roots need time to stabilize. While top growth may appear normal quickly, roots can take several weeks to recover. Avoiding early stress now helps prevent thinning and decline later in the season.
Irrigation and watering:
This time of year, deep and infrequent watering is more beneficial than frequent light watering. One day per week is more than enough. Watering should run longer with several days between cycles to encourage deeper root growth. If irrigation service was interrupted during the freeze, not watering for the next two to three weeks is not urgent and allows time for repairs while service providers work through freeze-related backlogs.
After April 1, irrigation should return to a two-day-per-week schedule, commonly Wednesday and Saturday or Sunday and Thursday. Recommended run times are 45 minutes to 1 hour for rotor heads, 15–20 minutes for spray heads, and about 30 minutes for rotator nozzles.
Aeration and fertilization:
Aeration immediately after a hard freeze is not recommended for St. Augustine grass. Roots are stressed and brittle, and aerating now can slow recovery and cause damage. The best time to aerate is late spring to early summer, typically late April through June, once the lawn is fully active. Fertilizing right after a freeze is also not recommended, as it pushes weak top growth before roots are ready. Early-season sales for aeration or fertilizer should be approached cautiously.
Bottom line:
Short-term patience protects long-term landscape health. Allowing plants and turf to recover naturally now helps prevent avoidable damage and decline later in the year.
